76ers can't answer the treys They were eliminated from playoff contention as Orlando burned them with 16 three-pointers.

By Kate Fagan INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Posted: March 23, 2010

Luck, that's all it is.

Before last night's 109-93 win over the 76ers, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said it was "luck of the draw" that against the Sixers this season, his team has made three-pointers at the same rate some guys shoot free throws: a little more than half.

In two previous victories over the Sixers, Orlando was 31 for 52 from beyond the arc; last night, Orlando finished 16 for 31 from deep.

The long ball came in various forms last night - contested, wide open, off the pass, off the dribble - but each one brought the Magic (50-21) just a little closer to that inevitable victory.

The Sixers dropped to 24-47 and were eliminated from playoff contention. Since Feb. 10, their record is 4-16. They are 11-24 at the Wachovia Center this season.

In the season series with the Sixers, Orlando is now 47 for 83 (56.6 percent) from beyond the arc.

"They made threes, that's what they do," said Sixers coach Eddie Jordan. "The most important key was that we compete for 48 minutes. Knowing the history of where we've been with this team, I'm proud of the team that we competed physically, that we executed the game plan."

And the Sixers did.

It wasn't good enough to win, it wasn't good enough to threaten to win, but it was good enough to prevent a full-on blowout.

And right now, that's as good as it gets for the Sixers.

With 3 minutes, 30 seconds left in the game, Sixers forward Rodney Carney hit a pull-up jumper along the right baseline, cutting Orlando's lead to 100-92. Seconds later, Magic center Dwight Howard dunked as if playing on a Nerf hoop, his bucket essentially extinguishing any lingering hope.

"Overall effort was definitely positive," said Sixers power forward Elton Brand, who scored 23 points, 18 in the first half. "They hit threes; they're going to hit threes, that's what they do. We played well, but of course we want to win. I'm tired of just playing well. I want to win these games."